Good morning! Sydney here with this edition of the Scarves and Spikes Daily newsletter. Follow me on X, BSky, IG, and Threads.
First, some congratulations are in order
For the first time in their nine seasons of existence, Atlanta United 2 is headed to the playoffs. A 4-2 win at Orlando City B sealed the deal for the 2s, who are the third seed in the Eastern Conference. Jose Silva’s team broke all sorts of records: most points, most wins, most goals in a season (Arif Kovac with 20), most assists in a season (Cameron Dunbar with 13). By the way, Kovac and Dunbar won the Golden Boot and Playmaker of the Year, respectively.
The 2s will get the chance to pick their opponent for the conference quarterfinals, which will be at home on October 18.
ICYMI: Our Atlanta United/Portland Timbers match reaction show
Tommy and I looked back at a gritty 1-0 win over the Portland Timbers and made the argument that slowly — but surely — this team is starting to find a level of play it didn’t have earlier in the year. It’s still not a good team and still has a lot of holes, but the foundation is, arguably, there. Watch now on YouTube. (And subscribe to the channel, like the video, and leave a comment while you’re there!) Or listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Our player ratings form is open, too (it closes tomorrow at 7pm). Click here.
The best (and worst) of MLS Matchday 27
What in the world happened in the Sporting Kansas City vs. Philadelphia Union match?
For a while, it looked like Sporting Kansas City would pull off one of the season’s shock results, as Andre Luiz’s brace and Wyatt Meyer’s first MLS goal gave them a 3-0 lead over a well-in-form Philadelphia Union. Surely, not even the last-placed team in the league could blow it, right?
Well, Bruno Damiani scored in the 64th minute. Then Cavan Sullivan scored in the 66th minute, followed by Milan Iloski in the 68th. It was 3-3. Then, to top it off, SKC’s Zoran Bassong conceded an own goal in the 73rd minute.
Philadelphia Union 4, Sporting Kansas City 3. The Union are now 9-0-2 in their past 11 matches and have won their last five as their absolutely unreal run continues. Sporting KC? That’s an absolute all-timer of a letdown. At least Atlanta United fans can feel a little bit better about blowing a 2-0 lead at Subaru Park a few weeks ago.
By the way, the Union are now the fifth team in MLS history to come back from a 3-0 deficit to win. In fact, they’re the second team to do it this year: Orlando City trailed Inter Miami 3-0 after 33 minutes but scored the next four to win. Philly’s version, though, is better.
Speaking of teams on runs…
St. Louis City is absolutely for real. Their latest win: a 3-1 victory over Toronto FC to extend their unbeaten stretch in league play to 16 matches. Since a 2-0 loss at Austin FC on May 2, St. Louis is 11-0-5 and have claimed a remarkable 38 out of a possible 48 points. They’re now sitting in third place in the Western Conference, tied with the Houston Dynamo on points and five back of the Vancouver Whitecaps.
I’ll admit that I was unimpressed with the Yoann Damet hire when it was announced, but he has done a remarkable job with this group. Simon Becher is having a breakout season, they’re getting contributions up and down the roster, and Rafa Navarro has done Rafa Navarro things. (They’ll also play in the U.S. Open Cup final on October 21.) Damet won’t win Coach of the Year (that’ll be B.J. Callaghan), but he’ll get his share of votes.
Other results
-Nashville SC clinched a playoff spot with a 3-0 win over the Chicago Fire. Shoutout to B.J. Callaghan for the work he’s done with that outfit.
-Charlotte FC are now unbeaten in their last eight (5-0-3) after a 2-1 win over D.C. United, but my goodness, do D.C. have a reason to feel hard done after a possible Louis Munteanu equalizer with 15 minutes remaining wasn’t given. This is clear as day:
-Inter Miami blew another late lead at home, playing to a 2-2 draw against San Diego FC as Anders Dreyer equalized in the 82nd minute to complete his brace. This Miami team just doesn’t have the killer instinct it used to have.
-New York is red: Julian Hall received his first USMNT call-up, then celebrated with a 57th-minute goal in Red Bull New York’s 1-0 win over NYCFC. RBNY have now won back-to-back matches since a 0-4-2 slump.
-The Seattle Sounders battled back from 3-1 down for a 3-3 draw against the Colorado Rapids. The Sounders have now followed eight straight losses with five straight draws, but credit them for their fight to get a road point.
-Late drama at Levi’s Stadium: a stoppage-time golazo by Reid Roberts saw the San Jose Earthquakes draw with 10-man LAFC.
The scoreboard
The standings
Eastern Conference
| Rank | Club | Points | Record (W-L-D) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville | 57 | 17-3-6 |
| 2 | New England | 46 | 14-8-4 |
| 3 | Miami | 46 | 12-4-10 |
| 4 | Charlotte | 43 | 12-7-7 |
| 5 | Chicago | 39 | 11-8-6 |
| 6 | Philadelphia | 36 | 10-10-6 |
| 7 | Orlando | 34 | 10-12-4 |
| 8 | RBNY | 33 | 9-11-6 |
| 9 | Cincinnati | 33 | 8-8-9 |
| 10 | NYCFC | 32 | 8-10-8 |
| 11 | D.C. United | 29 | 6-8-11 |
| 12 | Toronto | 29 | 6-9-11 |
| 13 | Columbus | 26 | 7-14-5 |
| 14 | Atlanta United | 26 | 7-14-5 |
| 15 | Montréal | 21 | 5-15-6 |
Western Conference
| Rank | Club | Points | Record (W-L-D) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vancouver | 49 | 15-6-4 |
| 2 | Houston | 44 | 13-8-5 |
| 3 | St. Louis | 44 | 12-6-8 |
| 4 | Dallas | 44 | 12-6-8 |
| 5 | San Jose | 42 | 12-8-6 |
| 6 | LAFC | 41 | 11-8-8 |
| 7 | Colorado | 36 | 11-12-3 |
| 8 | LA Galaxy | 33 | 8-10-9 |
| 9 | Portland | 32 | 9-12-5 |
| 10 | San Diego | 31 | 8-11-7 |
| 11 | Austin | 30 | 7-10-9 |
| 12 | RSL | 29 | 8-12-5 |
| 13 | Seattle | 29 | 7-9-8 |
| 14 | Minnesota | 29 | 7-11-8 |
| 15 | Sporting KC | 18 | 5-17-3 |
Tonight: MLS Monday, LIVE at 9pm ET
Charlie Boehm from MLSSoccer.com stops by to help us make sense of the weekend’s MLS action. Join us live at 9 pm and participate in the chat. Can’t catch us live? Watch on demand, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Help support independent Atlanta soccer coverage
Every week, Scarves and Spikes brings you original interviews, on-site coverage, live shows and podcasts, and the analysis you won’t find at the bigger national outlets. With Atlanta United facing yet another important transfer window, the U.S. Soccer National Training Center setting up shop in the Atlanta area, and NWSL Atlanta kicking off in 2028, your support helps us do even more.
What you get on Patreon:
- Atlanta United training ground updates
- Exclusive interviews, like our recent sit-down with ATL UTD 2 head coach Jose Silva
- Discord access, talk Atlanta soccer with the SnS team and other supporters
- Patreon-only mailbags
- Grey Gowder’s analytical deep-dives on roster construction, the academy, ATL UTD 2, and more
Membership starts at $5/month. New subscribers get a 7-day free trial.